strategy+business: THOUGHT LEADERS

The Gorilla of Agile Business Innovation

by William J. Holstein — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Corning Glass Chief Technology Officer David Morse explains how the company, through speed and customer-driven research, development, and engineering, has built an $8 billion enterprise in an industry that many regard as moribund. Morse is responsible for shepherding Corning's innovative R&D practice through an era of change.

Algae at a Pump Near You?

by Theodore Kinni — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Calls for oil independence and alternative energy sources have recently placed renewed focus on algal biofuels as a substitute for petroleum. Physicist William Cooke has spent the past three years on the York River, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, cultivating microalgae in open waters. He recently spoke with strategy+business about the industry's prospects--and what's holding it back.

Innovating for Energy's Future

by Edward H. Baker and Tom Flaherty — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Under chairman and CEO Thomas A. (Tom) Fanning, Southern Company has been deeply committed to a wide range of R&D efforts designed to employ a diverse mix of fuel resources. This, according to Fanning, is the key to clean, reliable, and affordable energy: a bold and balanced approach to innovation.

The Discipline of Managing Disruption

by Art Kleiner — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

To Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, coauthor of How Will You Measure Your Life? a primary task of leadership is asking questions that anticipate great challenges. His insight about the innovator's dilemma became conventional business wisdom. Now he is applying it to a deeper question: What is life for?

The Thought Leader Interview: Cynthia Montgomery

by Ken Favaro and Art Kleiner — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

A Harvard Business School professor of strategy observes that leaders become better strategists by engaging in conversation about the purpose of a company. Cynthia Montgomery's perspective, based on her experience with executive education for entrepreneurs and managers, could reconcile long-standing debates about position versus resources, analysis versus execution, and entrepreneurship versus large business management.

The Dueling Myths of Business

by Art Kleiner — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Author and scenario planning expert Betty Sue Flowers dissects the attitudes and beliefs that unconsciously influence decision makers. The reason for a corporate reputation collapse or even a financial crisis can be traced to clashes between those seeking growth (the economic myth), those seeking truth through reason (the scientific myth), and those seeking health for the whole system (an ecological story line). (THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS LICENSED IMAGES)

The Multipolar MBA

by William J. Holstein — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

To Rakesh Khurana, a Harvard professor known for his histories of business schools, the management academy is facing a crisis of irrelevance. In this Q&A with business journalist William Holstein, Khurana argues that global companies are recruiting new types of future executives, and business schools are struggling to adapt.

Building the Skills of Insight

by Art Kleiner — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

To eminent systems therapist David Kantor, learning to "read the room" (to recognize hidden patterns in conversation) is the first step toward more effective executive leadership. Kantor categorizes speech acts in terms of action (moving, opposing, following, or "bystanding"); content (power, meaning, or affect); and legitimacy (open, closed, or random), and this interview explains how the right speech act at the right moment can help an executive team move forward in new ways.

The Thought Leader Interview: William J. O'Rourke

by Ann Graham — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The former head of Alcoa Russia teaches executives that international business practice should start with a strong sense of ethics -- or it won't survive. In this Thought Leader interview, Bill O'Rourke looks back at his efforts to run an ethical company in Russia, and ahead at the ethical challenges facing today's business students.

An Optimist's Case for Climate Policy

by Rob Norton — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

While the prospects for comprehensive U.S. legislation to control greenhouse gas emissions have dimmed in recent years, Gernot Wagner, an economist at the Environmental Defense Fund, remains optimistic that the policy debate will shift back toward the environmental position, and he sees encouraging signs of change in the marketplace.

Lessons from the E-Commerce Wars

by Laura W. Geller — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Entrepreneur Jim McCarthy has worked in e-commerce for the past 15 years. He cut his teeth in tech startups, learning from both failures and successes. Today, as cofounder and CEO of Goldstar Events Inc., a privately held half-price ticketing website, he's figured out how to grow his business and distinguish his brand by forging a strong connection with his customers. (THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS LICENSED IMAGES)

The Thought Leader Interview: Douglas Conant

by Art Kleiner — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In this Thought Leader interview, the coauthor of TouchPoints and former CEO of Campbell Soup Company explains how companies build capabilities by cultivating people. Douglas Conant turned around a moribund company in part by focusing the portfolio, redesigning training, setting high standards, and writing dozens of notes of praise every day.

IT and Healthcare: Evolving Together at the Cleveland Clinic

by Ramez Shehadi, Walid Tohme, and Edward H. Baker — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Martin Harris, M.D., chief information officer of the Cleveland Clinic -- one of the world's most innovative hospital systems -- describes how medical IT helps providers engage consumers and cut costs. He also looks ahead, describing how innovative information technology and innovative healthcare are poised to evolve together.

Brand Transformation on the Internet

by Art Kleiner — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:00:00 GMT

To Aaron Shapiro, CEO of the digital agency Huge, online marketing means creating immersive environments where people go to get their problems solved. In his book Users, Not Customers , he argues that every company will sooner or later come online this way.

The Thought Leader Interview: Dov Seidman

by Art Kleiner — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

According to research by this influential author and expert on building ethical cultures, companies that practice humanistic self-governance have a multifaceted edge in performance. This interview expands on Seidman's book How: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything (Wiley, 2007), explaining how companies get stuck in blind obedience and informed acquiescence, and how they can move beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) to sustainable values.

Solar Comes of Age

by Laura W. Geller — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The solar energy industry is entering a dynamic period, as costs decline, demand for electricity continues to grow, and competition heats up. Carrie Cullen Hitt, vice president of state affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association, argues that with the right mix of rules, policies, and incentives, great opportunity exists for solar in the years ahead.

How Ikea Reassembled Its Growth Strategy

by Deniz Caglar, Marco Kesteloo, and Art Kleiner — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

During the Great Recession, an iconic European furniture company found a growth strategy that let it cut expenses while raising customer loyalty. This interview, conducted for the forthcoming s+b article "Is Your Company Fit for Growth?" shows how Ikea thrived by reinvesting its savings in its most important capabilities.

A Talent Strategy for Emerging Economies

by David Tusa and Melissa Master Cavanaugh — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The CEO and CHRO of the Middle East telecom operator Etisalat explain how they recruit and retain people for frontier markets -- the most challenging business environments in the world.

The Innovativeness of Nations

by Rob Norton — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Soumitra Dutta, professor of business and technology at INSEAD, discusses the findings and implications of the school's 2011 Global Innovation Index, which measures the innovativeness of 125 nations.

The Thought Leader Interview: Bob Carrigan

by Art Kleiner — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Media pioneer Bob Carrigan, from his vantage point as CEO of the International Data Group and the 2011 chair of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, explains why the interactive media industry is the most optimistic part of the economy. It has opened the door to unprecedented opportunity -- if we can give up many of our old ways of doing business.

The Thought Leader Interview: Meg Wheatley

by Art Kleiner — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

An expert on innovative leadership warns that too many companies are reverting to fear-driven management. Instead, executives should hold to their values and build healthy corporate communities.

China's Auto Industry Responds to Record Growth

by Sheridan Prasso — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Dazong Wang, CEO of one of China's largest automakers, discusses how auto companies will keep pace with Chinese consumers' appetite for cars.

How Coca-Cola Manages 90 Emerging Markets

by William J. Holstein — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

The world's largest beverage company has delegated major decision making to individual markets, but it maintains its global brand through collaborative practices. In this interview, Ahmet C. Bozer, president of the Coca-Cola Company's Eurasia and Africa Group, explains how this iconic international company has structured itself to compete in emerging economies.

How Female Talent Could Transform Emerging Economies

by Melissa Master Cavanaugh — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Authors Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid argue that corporate leaders are overlooking one of the most enthusiastic, capable sources of talent in the world: women in emerging markets.

China in Transition

by Sheridan Prasso — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Dazong Wang, CEO of one of China's largest automakers, on how auto companies will keep pace with Chinese consumers' appetite for cars.